A Father's Heart
by Team M.A.B
Summary: Charlie wants to be the perfect father, but events in his past hamper his attempts. Can he change before he destroys himself and his daughter? Inspired by Take This Heart, By BookwormBaby2580
1. When Angels Cry

**Authors note: First I would like to thank BookwormBaby2580 for inspiring this story, as well as being my resident beta, and for NixHaw, who is the non-resident beta. This story is a retelling of Take This Heart, written by the beautiful and talented BookwormBaby2580. The difference is, this story follows Charlie instead of Bella and Carlisle. We will be getting into Charlie's back story, and some of it will be pretty dark. This is my first time doing anything like this so please be gentle.**

**Team M.A.B.**

**Twilight belongs to Stephanie Meyer, and I belong to BookwormBaby2580. **

**1. ****When Angels Cry**

**This all happens prior to Take This Heart.**

"Fuck!" I cursed as I threw the radio into the passenger seat of my squad car.

If Bella was hurt at all, Tyler Crowley was going to spend the rest of his life in a jail cell. I had just received a report of an accident at Forks High School, which turned my thoughts to Bella's well-being. I had asked right away for more specific details and was told there had been a car accident involving my Bella and that jack-ass, Tyler Crowley. They were on the way to the hospital.

I turned on my siren and lights, and barely heard the squeal of my tires as I pulled onto the road, my thoughts immediately going back to the conversation I'd had with Bella four months prior_. _How could this have happened, I wondered.

Four months ago May 26th I had been awakened by a phone call around three in the morning. Glancing at my clock I'd mumbled, "God dammit, somebody better be dead if they're calling me this early."

"What?" I shouted into the receiver as I picked up my phone.

"Dad?" I immediately recognized the soft voice on the other end of the line.

I was instantly awake, filled with feelings of dread. Bella, my sweet, loving daughter wouldn't be calling me this early unless something awful had happened.

"Bella, what's wrong?" I asked, my voice instantly becoming softer and more understanding. I quickly followed up with, "Are you hurt? What happened? Where's your mother?" Images of the many grisly and deadly accidents I had seen throughout my career as a police officer flooded my mind.

"Nothing's wrong. I'm fine. Nothing happened. Mom's probably at home with Phil." I could hear her breath coming in quick, short gasps.

Had she been crying?

She continued, her voice remaining soft but the words coming out haltingly. "Daddy, I need you."

I felt my stomach drop. My daughter— my angel—needed me, and needed me desperately. But for a handful of times, she never called me Daddy. The last time had been five years ago when we had been at the beach and she'd broken her leg after falling off a piece of driftwood. As she lay on the ground I had heard her wailing, "Daddy, help me! Daddy, I need you!"

Immediately, I felt fury build up in me toward whatever had hurt her. "What happened and how can I help?" I asked darkly.

Bella didn't respond for a few seconds, though they seemed like hours to me. Had I frightened her? "Bella?" I asked gently, keeping the fury out of my voice. "What do you need?"

I heard a quick sob on the other end of the line and she quickly asked, "Can I come live with you?"


	2. The Needs of a Child

**2. The Needs of a Child**

**This all happens prior to Take This Heart.**

For a few seconds I couldn't breathe. Bella wanted to come live with me? I knew I was a terrible father, considering how I treated her and everything. Why would she want to live with me, of all people?

"Tell me what happened."

Her sobs came more frequently now, but between them I was able to learn that Phil, my ex-wife's boyfriend, had just become my ex-wife's fiancé. Bella was terrified.

I tried to calm her down, not fully understanding why her mother remarrying would be so frightening for her. As I continued to talk to her I started to understand that Phil was a far worse father than I was. I told Bella I would take care of it.

"Do you have somewhere you can stay for awhile, while I take care of this?" I asked.

She was quiet for a moment, the only sound coming through the phone being her sniffling and constantly trying to repress sobs. "I think I could figure something out."

I glanced at the caller ID. Not recognizing the number, I asked, "Where are you calling from?"

"A pay phone at a truck stop."

My heart sank at the possible implications. "Okay, Bella, I'm going to send you some money so you can stay at a motel. Do you think you can find your way to a Western Union?"

She responded with a sniffle and a slight, "Mm-hm."

"Sweetheart, be careful. Those truckers will use you up and toss you aside."

When she replied, I heard a slight smile in her voice. "Don't worry about me Dad."

I didn't want to know what she meant by that so I decided to change the subject. "You know my cell phone number. When you get the money, first thing you do is buy a disposable cell phone. I want you to call me every three hours when you're awake, and then once before you go to sleep and once when you wake up."

When she answered I could feel her relief emanating through the phone. "I will."

"I'm going to do what I can to get you out of Arizona. It might take some time to get the legality of the custody taken care of, but you stay away from that man no matter what. You'll still have to attend school but—"

"Dad," she interrupted, "I'm done with school it's summer break right now."

Next, I asked her where I should send the money, and we discussed where she would be staying. When we had that all figured out, I promised her, "I'm going to make this right for you. I'll take care of everything."

With a little sadness in her voice she said, "Thanks, Dad."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

After we hung up, I started working on getting her out of Arizona as quickly as I could.

I called Western Union immediately and sent her everything I had in my savings account. It was only a few thousand dollars, but I figured it could get her by for a few weeks. The next thing I did was call the Scottsdale police department. They said that they would go talk to her. She called me up a few hours later, sobbing again.

"Dad, I can't tell the cops about this. Just take care of this without using the police, please."

I reluctantly told her I would find another way.

"Thank you so much. I'm going to go to sleep now."

"Good night, sweetheart." I responded.

After that phone call I needed to go see my divorce lawyer. As I got my divorce files together I knew getting custody of Bella could be very sticky, but I was determined that I would be getting her out of Arizona. Even if I had to break the law and kidnap her, she was not going to go back to live with Phil.

I left to go see my lawyer, Lucas Uley, a lawyer Billy Black had recommended to me. If he couldn't meet with me right away, I would just stick around until he could. Bella's safety was the only thing I would be thinking about until I had custody of her.


	3. Bending the Law

**3. Bending the Law**

**This all happens prior to Take This Heart.**

When I got to Lucas Uley's office, the parking lot was empty and all the lights were off. "Shit," I muttered. I decided to go get some of the black sludge that 7-Eleven passed off as coffee while I waited for his office to open. When I got back, I saw a woman in her mid-twenties getting out of her car. She had long blonde hair, and wore a short black skirt with a light jacket over a very nice tank top. I smiled to myself. Lucas Uley never kept a receptionist for very long. Like his cars, he always wanted a newer model.

As she started to unlock the door to Lucas's office, she looked up and saw me. "Good morning, Chief Swan," she said.

I nodded my head in response, entering the office as she held the door open for me. She noticed the stack of files under my arm, and said, "Mr. Uley won't be in for another fifteen or twenty minutes. Are you sure you want to wait?"

I knew I wouldn't be able to think of anything else until Bella was safe, so I nodded my head while grumbling an affirmative response.

She sighed. "Very well."

I could tell that she was irritated that I was there before her boss, but in my current condition I couldn't care less. Lucas wouldn't be able to get his morning blow job today.

After about ten minutes, Lucas pulled up in his brand new, very shiny, blue Mustang. As he entered the office, looking over his shoulder towards the parking lot, he started asking, "Ashley why is there a cop car in the park . . ." He stopped as he saw me. "Good morning, Chief Swan. What can I do for you?"

I stood up to greet him. "Is there somewhere we can talk in private? I need to discuss my case with you."

I could tell Lucas was a little annoyed to see me. I hadn't failed to notice the slight bulge in his slacks that had probably been anticipating Ashley's mouth. I didn't care, though. The only thing that was important to me was getting my Bella home as fast as possible.

Lucas responded, "Very well, follow me to the conference room."

After sitting down at the very long oak desk, I said, "I need to get custody of my daughter."

Lucas's face twisted. "Charlie—May I call you Charlie?"

I nodded my consent.

"Charlie, I thought you had agreed with the ruling of the court. Why, so many years later, do you want to challenge it?"

I obviously couldn't tell him the truth. "I don't think Bella is happy in Arizona. She says she wants to come live with me."

"She's, what, seventeen now?"

I nodded.

"We could try something . . . I don't think it will work, though. With the custody arrangement being so old, it's very hard to change. Even if it did work, she would probably be of legal age by the time everything was decided. It's not really worth the effort or the cost. Just wait a year and you can have her move in with you then."

I sat there, guilt and anger twisting my gut into knots. "Isn't there anything we can do?"

"Like I said, the best option is to wait a year. Why? What's the hurry?"

I knew he was not going to understand, especially because I couldn't tell him the whole truth. I stood up. "Fine." I said, letting him hear the anger in my voice. "Could you recommend anyone who might actually be useful to me?"

He paused and then wrote down a name and an address on a Post-it note and handed it to me. The address was in Port Angeles, but I would go anywhere to get this fixed.

I thanked him for his time and left his office so he could get his rocks off with Ashley.

I went to five more lawyers, getting basically the same response: just wait a year. Eventually though, I was referred to Jason Scott, who worked in a suburb outside of Seattle.

When I showed up at his office, I saw a short balding man with a beer belly, wearing a nice suit and locking up the office for the day. As I approached him he looked up at me, smiling.

"Anything I can help you with, officer?" he asked.

"I need to meet with Jason Scott."

"Well, you're talking to him, but I am closed for the day." He glanced at his watch. "After all, it's almost eight o'clock."

"Mr. Scott, I desperately need to meet with you." I told him how many lawyers I had seen, letting the desperation creep into my voice.

The man looked at me quizzically for a few seconds, and then stuck his hand out to shake mine. "I'll meet with you tomorrow during my normal business hours. In the meantime, you look like you could use some sleep. Why don't you stay at the local Motel 6? Tell them Jason Scott sent you and they'll give you a good rate. Get some rest and come back tomorrow morning around nine."

I thanked him and went to the Motel 6. When I checked in, they gave me almost half off. _They must really like this Jason Scott person_, I thought to myself.

Bella had been very good about calling me throughout the day, like I had asked her to. She called me again before she went to bed that night, and I told her I was doing everything I could and would let her know when things were different. I wished her good night and we hung up.


	4. A Long Shot

**4. A Long Shot**

**This all happens prior to Take This Heart.**

I didn't get much sleep that night. I was worried about some of the things the lawyers had been telling me: _The custody settlement had been reached so long ago, that it was hard to change, and_ _ I should just wait one year_. I knew I had to find a way for Bella to get away from Phil. I knew if I couldn't find a way to get her away, I would take her away in a case of parental kidnapping.

After Bella called me, I headed over to Scott's office. I got there just as he was unlocking the doors.

Smiling, he looked up at me and said, "I thought I told you to get some sleep."

"I did."

"Doesn't look like it."

"Yeah, well, you're no prize either."

He laughed a full, honest laugh that warmed me up a little.

I walked into his office as he held the door open for me.

"Mr. Scott," I began, "my name is Chief Charles Swan of the Forks Police Department. I need your help. Including you, I have seen seven different lawyers." I then explained to him what I had told the other lawyers.

He looked at me very hard. "Have you called the local police?"

How did he know that there was a legal aspect to this case? "My daughter wasn't willing to talk to them," I answered.

He sat back, "Chief Charles Swan of the Forks Police Department, I know there is more to this case than you're telling me. I would like to help you, but this isn't my area of expertise. And frankly, on a Policeman's salary, you couldn't afford me."

His words stung me.

"But," he continued, "I know of a man who might be able to help you. He's retired, but one of the finest attorneys I've ever met." He took a card out of his jacket, flipped it over, and began to write on it. "Go to this address in Seattle. Tell him I sent you and tell him your story. I believe he is the right man for the job."

I looked at his card. _Isaac Randall_.

"Who is he?" I inquired.

Scott looked at me and smiled. "You'll see."

I thanked him and walked back to my car, hoping against hope that this Isaac could help me.

As I climbed into my car my phone was ringing.

"Hello?" I grumbled gruffly.

"God dammit, Charlie!"


	5. Dead to the World

**5. Dead to the world**

As I heard the voice on the other end of the line, I realized I had forgotten to let my colleagues know that I was going to need some time off.

"Charlie, you're more than an hour late for you shift. " I instantly recognized the voice of the dispatcher, Nikki. "You're never late. What the hell is going on?"

I knew I wasn't going to tell her the whole truth. "I have a family emergency that I must take care of. It came on suddenly and I forgot to let you know I was going to need some time off."

"Bullshit," Nikki responded. "We both know you're not married and your parents are dead. The only family you have is Bella . . ." Her voice instantly changed from loud and angry to soft and concerned. "What's wrong with Bella?"

I was thankful she understood so quickly. "I can't tell you what's going on. I just need you to buy me some time. Please make an excuse for me. I don't care what you say, just don't let them know it's a family emergency."

"I will, Charlie. Take care of yourself. Let me know if you need anything."

I thanked her and told her I'd let her know when I was coming back. I knew Nikki would keep my secret. Nikki was a great gal.

I pulled my cruiser back on the road. I really hoped this Isaac person would be able to help me.

I found the address Scott had given me fairly easily, but seeing the building that I pulled up to, I had to double-check what Scott had written down. It was not what I was expecting.

It was not an office but a house, and not the type of house I would have expected a lawyer to own. The yard was overgrown with more weeds than grass. The house was a large, three story building with peeling paint. One of the decorative shutters was hanging on by one screw. Every window was covered with heavy, faded drapes. A handful of shingles were missing, and I wondered if the house leaked when it rained. If not for the three top-of-the-line deadbolts on the front door, I would have assumed the house was abandoned.

I walked to the front door. There was no doorbell and no screen, so I knocked loudly.

I heard an old, gruff voice yell out, "The only people who knock on my door are salesmen. I don't care what you're selling; I don't want any, so you can just go fuck yourself."

"Mr. Randall," I called out, "my name is Chief Charles Swan of the Forks Police Department. I really need to talk to you."

For a moment I didn't hear a response, and I wondered if he had heard me. Just before I was about to knock again I heard the same voice, much closer to the door this time but just as angry. "Chief Swan, I haven't done anything illegal, as I haven't left my house in over a month. I don't have any clients because I'm retired. I don't know why you're here, but it is obviously a fucking mistake."

"I was sent here by Jason Scott. He said you might be able to help me."

I heard a curse from behind the door, and then I heard all three of the deadbolts unlock and the door opened very slightly. Mr. Randall peeked out of the gap, his eye appearing just below the substantial chain keeping him secure in his house. "Let me see your credentials," he demanded.

I pulled my badge out of my pocket, letting him look it over. "Hand them over. Can't you see I don't have my fucking glasses?"

Sighing, I passed them to him through the gap.

He snatched them from me and shut the door, and I heard all the deadbolts lock again. I wondered what I would do if he kept my badge.

After a moment or two I knocked softly on the door. "Mr. Randall?"

"God damn mother fucker," I heard him curse. "Fine, I guess these look legitimate."

He unlocked the deadbolts again, peeked through the crack and asked me if I was armed. When I said I was, he told me to put the gun in my car. I complied reluctantly, and felt his gaze boring into my back as I put my gun in the trunk of my car. Feeling completely naked now, I turned back to the house. He was still looking at me through the gap in his door as I approached again.

"Is that everything?" he asked.

"Yes," I answered honestly. "I am completely unarmed now."

"Unzip your jacket and turn around," he ordered.

Wondering if he might shoot me in the back, I complied.

"Put your hands on your head with your fingers interlaced."

I hesitated.

"Listen to me, you fuck. If you want me to even hear your story, you will do every goddamned thing I say."

Slowly I did so. I then heard the chain detach from the door, and the door handle unlatch.

"Back up slowly through the door," he told me.

As soon as I crossed the threshold, Randall told me to step to my right and put my hands on the wall, which I did.

"Don't move," he commanded. I felt him approach me from behind and felt his hands pat me down, searching for weapons.

"I said I was unarmed," I said, irritated.

"I don't trust anyone, most of all fucking pigs like you."

His words stunned me. Most people didn't refer to police as pigs when an officer could hear them. For a moment I considered turning around and grasping his wrists to show him I could overpower him at any moment.

"Now step back and go into the dining room." He kept a threatening hand on the back of my neck as he guided me into the room.

The smell of the house was old and mixed with his body odor and a lot of dust. The interior was dim with no lights on, and the drapes were closed. Seeing the inside of his house I wondered how long it had been since he had _actually_ left it. He said it had been over a month, but I wondered if he had left his house at all this year. He steered me through a maze created by over-filled boxes that reminded me of the hoarder shows on television. I wondered with a grim humor if he could even remember what color his carpet was.

He roughly shoved me down into a chair at his dining table, a cloud of dust erupting from the chair. As he walked around to the other side of the table, I got my first decent look at him. From his back I could see he was mostly bald, just a few wisps of hair on top of his head. He walked slowly but I was glad I hadn't tried to overpower him. He was obviously extremely strong. I could see his muscles rippling under his threadbare button-down shirt and suspenders, which held up old beige pants.

He turned and sat down in the chair directly across from me saying, "Now what the fuck do you want?"

Seeing his face for the first time I tried unsuccessfully to hide the shock and horror I felt.


	6. The Recluse

**6. The Recluse**

**This all happens prior to Take This Heart.**

Mr. Randall saw my reaction and he let a cock-eyed smile grace his face. "What's the matter? Am I not pretty enough for you? Listen to me you little shit. If that fucker Scott sent you here, he must think you are worthy of my services, and that you're plight is worthwhile. However, if you don't like my face that's your fuckin' problem, and you can get the fuck out of my house right now."

I listened to his profanity-laced barrage, unable to take my eyes off of the hole in his head where his left eye should be. I nodded.

"Fine," he said, "get the fuck out of here." He rose and began to walk around the table towards me.

A wave of fear washed over my body. Oh God, he had misunderstood me. "Mr. Randall," I stammered, "I didn't mean yes I want to leave, I meant yes, I understand, and I desperately want your help."

He paused looking at me critically with his one eye. Going back to his seat, he sat down. "Well let's have this fucking sob story that made that bleeding-heart Scott give you my name and address."

I told him everything I had told Scott.

He looked at me harshly, rising from his chair again. "Do you think I'm fucking stupid?" he asked furiously. "You're not telling me half the story. If you aren't going to be completely honest with me, you can just get the fuck out of my house."

I became filled with fear. "Mr. Randall," I begged, "I need your help. Please." I felt my eyes begin to sting as the tears welled up.. "She's my only child. I love her with my whole heart. I'm a terrible father. But if my Bella wants to come live with me, her life now must be very bad."

He sat back down, still looking at me critically, and nodded for me to continue. "I lose my temper sometimes and hurt Bella. But I was able to gather from her that her mother's fiancé is worse than I am, and he's also taking advantage of her . . ." The fury that had been building up in me since Bella had called me exploding I yelled, "The bastard is hurting my little girl!"

Randall's eye went wide with shock, and then came back to a normal but much softer look than he had given me since I had met him. He started speaking again his voice soft and sympathetic. "Chuck, your daughter is in a very dire situation. Let's go up to my office."

"Okay. But do you think I could have my badge back?"

He chuckled in a grandfatherly way and tossed me my badge. He then walked around behind me and placed a sympathetic hand on my shoulder. "I will take your case. Come."

I followed him up two flights of stairs to the top floor, and to the end of a long hallway, still amazed at the squalor of his house. He took an old-fashioned, polished key out of his pocket, unlocked a door, and ushered me in. I stepped in and stopped short. I could hardly believe my eyes.


	7. The Inner Sanctuary

**7. The Inner Sanctuary**

**This all happens prior to Take This Heart.**

Upon entering his office, I was amazed at the contrast from the rest of the house. It had what appeared to be mahogany floors, and in the center of the room there was a large office desk, also made of mahogany. All four walls had mahogany bookshelves that reached to the ceiling, leaving a space for a very large window in the far wall. This was the first window I had seen that didn't have drapes drawn over it. There was also light streaming down through a very large skylight. The only unnatural light available appeared to be a desk lamp on the corner of his desk. The lamp was currently off, the natural light being more than adequate. There were two large black leather chairs at the corners of the desk with an even more impressive large leather desk chair behind the desk. Every surface in this room was polished to a very soft shine. It smelled of mahogany and the sweet scent of cherry tobacco smoke. I saw a pipe lying in an obsidian ashtray on the desk.

While looking around his office, Mr. Randall locked the door behind me. Seeing my astonished look, he chuckled. "Yeah, I know what you're thinking. Where did he get all this great wood?" He smiled, his eye crinkling at the corners, "I found a great sale on mahogany. Please have a seat," he said as he strode over to his desk.

When Mr. Randall reached the other side of the desk, I sat down, amazed at his office. He took off his shirt, tossed it into a corner of the room, and put on a clean, freshly-starched shirt, which had been hanging on a brass hat tree in the corner of his office. With his back still to me, he reached into the pocket of the new shirt, pulled something out, and placed it around his head. When he turned around he was wearing an eye patch made of Italian leather. He had completely transformed his appearance from that of an angry old codger, to a grandfatherly looking gentleman.

Seeing the confusion in my eyes he smiled in that kind way of his. "Everything outside of this room is all a disguise. This," he said as he spread his arms expansively, "is who I truly am." Still smiling he asked, "So, am I pretty enough for you now?"

Not waiting for a response from me, he sat down. "Now let's talk about this case of yours. Do you have a picture of Bella?"

I reached into my jacket pocket and pulled out my wallet. I fished out a photograph and handed him a school picture of Bella that her mother had given me four years earlier. "It's a pretty old picture, but it's the most recent one I have of her."

He looked it over slowly. "She has your ears and your nose."

"Yeah, I've always felt bad about that."

Mr. Randall looked back at me sternly. "Don't ever degrade yourself like that. You should be proud she looks like you." As he handed the picture back to me he said, "She is a very beautiful girl."

"Now, Chuck, please tell me everything. How did you find out about Bella's situation?"

I told him the entire story about the phone call and the call to the Phoenix police, not leaving anything out. I concluded by saying, "Mr. Randall, you can't let any of this information come to light. Bella will deny it, and she will never trust me again."

He looked at me seriously and said, "I'll keep this quiet on one condition."

I nodded at him, indicating he should continue.

Mr. Randall smiled.

"Stop calling me Mr. Randall. It's just Isaac."

I smiled back, "Okay and I'm just Charlie."

Still smiling, he responded, "Very well, Chuck, from now on I'll call you Charlie."

Getting serious again, Isaac asked, "What have you done to protect Bella?"

"She's living in a motel, and I make sure she has enough money for food and everything. I had to get her out of that house. Bella is out of school for the summer, which means Phil would have access to her twenty four hours a day."

"Who's Phil?"

Realizing I had left out that bit of information I told him, "Phil Dwyer is my ex-wife's new fiancé."

"We're trying to get Bella away from Phil, correct?" Isaac enquired.

I nodded my head.

"What are the custody arrangements you have with your ex-wife?"

"I see Bella for one month every summer, and then either Christmas or Thanksgiving." I replied.

"In the summer, when does she live with you?

"She usually moves in with me for all of July."

"What does Phil do for a living?"

"He plays minor league baseball."

"When is his season?"

"It starts the end of June," I answered. "Right around the twentieth of June I believe, and continues through most of August."

"You said she's living in a motel presently?" He continued, "And she won't talk to the police?"

I nodded my head, not sure where he was going with this.

"Does Phil have any friends in law enforcement?"

"None that I know of. I don't really know the man, so I can only give impressions."

"So it would be safe to assume he wouldn't go to the police for any reason?"

Thinking for a moment, I realized that Phil would never go to the police. "If he were to go to the police," I told Isaac, "they might start asking questions that he wouldn't want to answer."

Isaac lifted an eyebrow. "Questions about Bella?"

"Exactly."

The next thing Isaac asked for was the divorce files I had been carrying around with me for the past two days. I retrieved them from my car and he looked over each page carefully. Half an hour later, he looked up at me.

"Unfortunately, the lawyer who put this together is pretty good. If he'd been inept, we might have had an easier time of getting Bella back to you. However," he said, a mischievous look coming to his face, "I'm better than your old lawyer. I can get around this."

A smile crept across his face. "How hard would it be to call in a favor from the Phoenix police?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I could probably do that." Becoming more certain I said, "Yeah, I'm sure I could. Why?"

"I think I know how to get custody of Bella transferred to you."

I looked at him quizzically. "How?"

As he explained his ingenious plan, I realized we should have no problem pulling it off.

I nodded as I ran the plan over in my mind, "That should work."

Isaac picked up his pipe, grabbing a match out of the top desk drawer. I watched as he lit the match and lowered it to his pipe, breathing in the flame as he lit the tobacco. As I breathed in the fragrant tobacco smell, relief started to pass over me. This plan could actually work. He smiled at me. "Where are my manners?" He reached into a lower desk drawer. "This calls for a celebration!" Pulling out an intricately carved wooden box, he opened it and offered it to me. I looked into the box, smiling to myself.

"If these are what I think they are, I could have you arrested."

"I won't tell if you don't."

I reached into the humidor, grasping a very thick Cuban cigar with my fingertips. I brought it to my nose to inhale its fragrant aroma. "Are these as good as they're rumored to be?"

He shook his head at me, chuckling softly. "Better."

I nodded as he handed me a cigar cutter and a small pack of matches. I proceeded to cut the rounded end of the bullet-shaped cigar and light the other end while taking in a few slow puffs, enjoying the taste and knowing the whole time that what I was doing was illegal.

He put the humidor away and pulled out a simple looking bottle from the same drawer. "Here," he said, "try sipping this while smoking the cigar. The scotch will make them both taste better."

Not knowing how the flavor of this heavenly cigar could be even better, I doubted him. I humored him, though, and allowed him to pour the honey colored liquid into a crystal tumbler. After handing me the first glass, he poured one for himself.

Isaac raised his glass. "To Bella," he said

"To Bella." We clinked the crystal glasses together.

Not being much of a scotch drinker, I wasn't exactly sure how to best enjoy the scotch. So I watched, fascinated as Isaac swirled the scotch around and inhaled deeply. I followed suit, watching as the honey colored liquid gently coated the inside of the crystal. I inhaled. The aroma was intoxicating and very complex. I smelled soft vanilla, flickering malt, all with a smoky oak combination. I sipped a small amount, tasting a non-specific fruitiness. As I swallowed, a moan of pleasure involuntarily escaped my lips. Isaac chuckled softly.

"Good?"

"I've had Scotch before, but nothing like this. What is this?"

"Glenlivet 1967."

"It's incredible. How much did it cost?"

He smiled and said, "You don't want to know."

I tried a sip of the scotch and a drag of the cigar. Isaac was right. It made both the cigar and the scotch taste even better. We sat, enjoying the drink and the tobacco smoke, relaxing in comfortable silence.

When I finished my cigar, I extinguished the butt in the ashtray. I sat back into the soft leather chair, allowing my eyes to close. I felt the muscles in my neck and shoulders relaxing for the first time since hearing Bella crying on the other end of the phone line. Though it felt as though ages had passed, I realized it had been less than forty-eight hours since she'd asked for my help.

I heard a soft chuckle from Isaac. "You didn't fall asleep on me, did you now?"

A slow smile crept across my lips. "No," I said contentedly, "I'm just happy that I'll be able to help my daughter."

I opened my eyes to see him rising and saying, "Well, we'd best get to work. We don't want to keep the lady waiting any longer than we have to."


	8. In Motion

** 8. In Motion**

**This all happens prior to Take This Heart.**

The first thing Isaac had me do was to call Bella and assure her that things were going to work out.

Bella answered the phone, "This phone is owned by a very lonely and bored girl. If your name is not Charlie then you have reached this phone in error, so please check the number and try your call again."

"Hello, Bella," I said, chuckling.

"Hi, Dad. Do you have any idea how much daytime TV sucks with only basic cable?"

"I'm sorry. We're going to get you out of there as soon as we can. Isn't there anything else to do?"

"The phone book's story line is terrible. The only other books here are great—for falling asleep. Especially the one placed here by the Gideons."

"Are there any books you want me to send you?"

I heard a squeal on the phone like a school girl who just got a pony for Christmas, and she quickly said, "_Pride and Prejudice, Candide, A Doll's House, Indiana,_ and _The Prince_."

Bella had obviously made a list of books she wanted to read. I quickly wrote it down on the back of one of my business cards. Not recognizing the last four I asked, "Are all these books in English or am I going to have to go to a place that sells foreign books?"

She giggled at me. "I'm sure you can find them in English."

"Okay. The reason I called is to explain to you the plan to get custody transferred to me as easily as possible. We need you to do a few things. You'll have to stay in the room you are in right now until the start of July. Don't leave for any reason. If you need something as simple as a toothbrush, let me know and I will overnight it to you. Use the cell phone as little as possible. Anything you buy, use cash. Basically we're going to make you disappear digitally, and we don't want there to be a paper trail."

"You keep saying 'we'. Who is 'we'?"

"'We' is me and Isaac Randall. He's my new lawyer, the one who came up with the plan, and he will be helping us out." I proceeded to explain what we intended to do.

After detain Isaac's plan to Bella, she was quiet for a few minutes. "Is this really going to work?"

"I think so, Bella. I hope so."


	9. An Old Friend

**9. An Old Friend**

**This all happens prior to Take This Heart.**

While Isaac started on the custody papers, I gave the Phoenix police a call. I asked for Officer Perry, who had interviewed Bella the other morning. The operator said he was out of the office but they could transfer me to his second in command, Officer Brown. When he picked up he said, "Is this Chief Charles Swan of the Forks Police Department?"

Bored, I said, "Yes."

"So since you're some big shot chief in a one-horse, backwoods, inbred, hick town, I'm supposed to be bowing down and sucking your cock isn't that right?"

Stunned I demanded, "What's your badge number?"

"515."

"Listen to me, you mother fucker. I will be contacting your commanding officer! I will get your lazy, scrawny, disrespectful ass fired. You'll be begging to suck my cock within the week so you can pay your goddamn cable bill!"

Isaac looked up at me, startled.

"Whoa, whoa, settle down there Charlie. I thought you would recognize me. Don't you remember me? Dave Brown. We went through the academy together. I was just having a little fun with you man."

Suddenly it clicked in my head. Dave and I had had a lot of fun back at the academy, making fun of our C.O. when he wasn't looking. Going out, getting some beers, joking about what we would like to say to him. What Dave had said to me just now was almost exactly what we had fantasized about telling our C.O. I was so distracted worrying about Bella I hadn't recognized his name or his voice.

"Dave! Sorry man. How are you?" I asked.

He laughed, loud and full-bellied, into the phone. "You scared me for a second there Charlie. I thought maybe you were another Charlie Swan. So _Chief_, what can I do you for?"

"I have a favor to ask you. If you get a missing persons report about my daughter Bella, don't find her. At least not until I tell you to. I can't really tell you why, but if Bella has to go back home, things will be really bad for her. I just need you to not look for her until late in June or the early part of July."

"Charlie, what is going on?"

"There's probably a report that Perry made yesterday. If you look through that you'll get the idea. But all you need to know is that I'm trying to get Bella out of Arizona and up here to live with me without breaking the law."

"Do you have a lawyer or someone who will be able to help you do this?"

I glanced over at Isaac, who had been looking at me with a weird expression ever since I started talking to Dave. "Yes I do, and we have a plan. The first part involves Bella not being found."

"You know, I could get in a lot of trouble for this."

"I know, but the missing persons report will probably be coming from me, and you'll only have to delay it for a week or so."

"Okay. I should be able to do that."

"Thanks, Dave. I'll give you a call when it's okay to find her. You take care."

As I hung up Isaac looked at me. "What was that all about?"

"Just an old friend from the academy."

"Okay," he said slowly. "You ready for the next part?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," I answered, while slowly dialing a phone number I only dialed a few times a year.

"Hello," a man said.

Shit. I didn't want to talk to him. But for Bella I would.


	10. Safe and Sound

**Chapter 10. Safe and Sound **

**This all happens prior to Take This Heart.**

"Hello, Phil," I grumbled. "Is Bella home?"

"Well let me see if she's around here," he said in a sickening sweet voice. "Oh Bella," he called out in a sing song voice. "Daddy Charlie is on the phone for you." After waiting a few moments he came back on the line and said, "I'm sorry Charlie, she doesn't seem to be home at the moment. Can I help you with something?"

"What about Renée, where is she?" Knowing what kind of man Renée was attracted to, I was sure Phil knew exactly where she was.

"I honestly don't know," he lied. "Like I said, can I help you with anything?"

_Yeah you can go off yourself, _I thought. A vision popped into my mind of Phil's body damaged, bloody, with broken bones, blood pouring from his nose and ears, and his severed penis lying on the floor. The fantasy made me smile.

"Phil, will you tell Bella to call me when she gets home?"

"Will do," Phil lied.

I hung up the phone and turned to Isaac. "Okay that's done. How long do I keep calling before I catch on that Bella is missing?"

"We will keep this charade up until late June or early July. At which point you will file a missing persons report with the Phoenix police. When they find Bella within one day it will help you in your court case. We will bring up that if Phil and your ex-wife had filed a missing persons report when Bella disappeared they would have found her quickly."

"Thank you so much for doing this Isaac." I decided to bring up a topic I had avoided to this point. "How much are you going to charge me for all of this?"

Isaac chuckled. "I'm retired Charlie, I don't make money anymore. If there ever comes a time when I need some money I might call you up and ask you for some. But since I'm quite old, I'll probably die before that happens. To keep myself entertained I watch the newspaper for interesting cases, which I like to help out with. Depending on the person's monetary means I will either offer my services pro-bono or for a very small fee. Since you're a cop, I know you have very little money, which is why I won't charge you. If you feel like it's necessary, when I die you can put a check in the casket for whatever amount you think my service is worth."

I chuckled. My curiosity got the better of me so I asked him, "Exactly how old are you, Isaac?"

He raised one of his eyebrows. "Old enough to know that it's rude to ask a person his age." Isaac laughed. "I'm eighty years, seven months, two weeks, and one day old Charlie. I've been practicing law since I was twenty five."

Isaac passed me the custody papers he had been working on. Handing me a very nice fountain pen, Isaac said, "Sign these. I'll date them after we have started the process of getting custody of Bella transferred to you."

I looked over the papers he had been working on. The documents were a little over my head but I got the general gist of what they said. Basically, this was going to be a major modification to the divorce agreement. We were going to show just cause for Bella living with me, and that Phil and Renée had created a neglectful environment. After signing, I looked up and asked Isaac, "Is it going to be hard to get this taken care of in Washington? Or will we have to go down to Arizona?"

"I'm going to pull some strings and make sure it's all taken care of here in Washington. I don't want you to be in court any more than you have to. I'm anticipating you testifying one, maybe two days, but it shouldn't be very difficult for you. If Renée and Phil even get wind of the modification, they won't be able to hire an attorney that can beat me. Don't you worry, Charlie, we'll have your daughter safe and sound before the summer is out."

"Safe and sound," I mumbled. I immediately thought of the times my temper had taken control of me and I had hurt Bella. I was not going to hurt her anymore. I really wanted her to be truly safe and sound.

"So," I said to Isaac, "what's the next step?"

"Mostly, we're going to have to play the waiting game. Be sure you don't give any indication you know where Bella is. Keep calling every few days to see if Phil and your ex-wife know. If she needs more money, let me know and I'll take care of it. Only call her on her disposable cell phone. Anything you want to send to her, give it to me and I will get it to her. We need to make her disappear as much as possible, and we don't want to leave any bread crumbs that might lead back to you."

I knew that the waiting game was going to be the hardest part.

"Is there anything else we need to do today?"

"Just one more thing. Have another drink with me."

"Gladly."

We sat down and he poured us each another glass of the heavenly scotch. We talked about the life experiences we had had. It was just us getting to know each other a little better, but all the while Bella was never very far from my mind. I wanted her home with me. I wanted her to be safe and sound.


	11. Release

**11. Release**

**This all happens prior to Take This Heart.**

After leaving Isaac's office I immediately found the closest used bookstore. As I walked in I noticed the musty smell of ink on paper. There was a young lady standing behind the front desk. Her hair was jet black and shorn along the sides of her head. Her remaining hair was spiked up into five very long spikes. She had many piercings in each ear, and a chain connecting her left ear's earrings to the piercing in her left nostril. I wondered if she ever had a hard time getting through metal detectors. She was reading a very thick book when I entered the store. As I walked up to the desk she kept reading for a few moments before she looked up at me, looking irritated for being interrupted from her reading.

"How can I help you?" she said sounding bored.

"Um, I'm looking for five books," I said while fishing out my business card that had Bella's list on the back of it. "_Pride and Prejudice, Candide, A Doll's House, Indiana, _and _The Prince_," I recited.

She looked at me like I had just said something bad about her mother. Putting her book on the counter face-down to keep her place, she walked out from behind the desk, sighed, and said, "Follow me."

She showed me to the books, all of which were well used but not missing any pages. I went to the front where she placed them in a very generic plastic bag. The total was just under twenty dollars, which I paid with cash. I told her to keep the change, and walked out of the store.

I went to the convenience store next door and picked up some snacks I thought Bella would enjoy. I placed them all in the sack and drove over to Isaac's house again. When I knocked on the door, Isaac called out with his usual greeting. "The only people who knock on my door are salesmen. I don't care what you're selling; I don't want any, so you can just go fuck yourself."

I chuckled quietly to myself. Calling out in the best childlike voice I could manage, "But mister, if you don't but any of my Girl Scout cookies we won't be able to go to camp."

As the three deadbolts were unlocked I heard a soft curse from the other side the door. Isaac peaked out from behind his chain and laughed. "You couldn't stay away from me for more than an hour? You must have really missed me if you came back so fast."

I held up the plastic bag and said, "I have a care package for Bella. I need it overnighted."

Isaac detached the chain from his door, and invited me inside. When he saw me fishing out some money to pay for the shipping, he placed his hand over mine. "I'll cover this. Don't worry about it. You've got more important things to be concerned about without over-stretching your meager salary."

I looked up at Isaac. "I am very grateful for all of this. If you ever need anything let me know. You are a great man and I'm sure there is a special place for you in heaven."

Isaac grinned and said, "More likely hell, but we'll see eventually, won't we?"

I shook his hand and as he pulled me into a quick embrace he slipped a card into my hand.

"This is my personal cell phone. Call me anytime."

I thanked him and walked out to my car. I decided I had better get back to Forks. I picked up my phone and called Nikki, and when she picked up she said, "Forks Police Department, how may I direct your call?"

I always laughed at this because we both knew that directing a call would be basically her yelling at me to pick up the phone.

When she heard my laugh she exclaimed, "Charlie, are you coming back?"

"Yes. How many murders did I miss?"

"None. There was a full on riot while you were gone though."

"Really? What happened?"

"There was a fist fight at the diner. Biggest riot I've ever seen, all of three people were involved."

I laughed so hard tears came to my eyes. I'm sure the stress from the past few days was released with the laugh. "I'm sure you were able to hold down the fort. I'm on my way home right now."

Nikki's voice became softer. "Is Bella okay?"

"Things are being taken care of. I found a great support network for her and things will work themselves out. You know to keep this quiet, right?"

"Of course I do, Charlie. I'm not stupid."

"Okay, I'll be back as soon as I can. It should take me around three hours, but I'll work a double shift tonight if you can get one of the other officers to cover for me until I get back."

"Will do. Have a safe trip. I'll see you when you get back."

As I drove back to Forks, my thoughts were on Bella and the plan that we had started putting into motion this morning. Bella called me once during the drive back and I told her I had a care package coming to her, but it would not be sent from me but from Isaac Randall. I explained to her it might not be coming in her name but to go ahead and sign for it anyway.

I got back to the station right around four o'clock. Walking into the office I saw Nikki sitting at her desk playing solitaire on her computer, obviously bored out of her mind. Hearing the door open Nikki sat up and looked towards me excitedly. Seeing me she slouched back down into her chair and said, "Oh, it's only you Charlie."

_"Only_ me? Well it's great to see you too."

She looked at me. "That's not what I meant. I just hoped we would have a real crime or something exciting."

"Nope, we just live in this boring little one-horse, backwoods, inbred, hick town where the most exciting things that happen here are the traffic jams caused by ducks crossing the road."

Nikki responded by blowing a raspberry and throwing her pencil at me. "I'll have you know, my parents are second cousins which is totally legal."

"And your pets?" I asked.

"You leave my babies out of this! They don't know any better! Besides, they're fixed."

I laughed at her. "Do I have time to take a shower before I go on duty?"

"Depends on how fast you can shower. Your shift starts at five o'clock."

"Okay, put a pot of coffee on and order a pizza. I'll run home take a shower and eat when I get back."

Nikki smiled at me. "Take your time. After all, we live in this boring little one-horse, backwoods, inbred, hick town where the most exciting things that happen here are the traffic jams caused by ducks crossing the road."

I was laughing as I left. Nikki really was a great gal.


	12. Confrontation

**12. Confrontation**

**This all happens prior to Take This Heart.**

After showering, I drove back to the police station. I pulled into the parking lot just as the pizza delivery guy was leaving. When I walked in I could smell the pizza and the coffee brewing. I hoped that the rest of the night would be quiet; I really needed some rest. I nodded to Nikki as I grabbed a couple slices of pizza and a cup of coffee. I started eating while walking back to my office. Sitting at my desk, I continued eating my pizza while sipping the coffee. Once I finished my pizza I put my feet up on the desk. The next thing I remembered was Nikki shaking me awake.

"Charlie! Charlie, wake up! Your phone has been ringing off the hook for the past fifteen minutes."

Instantly becoming alert, I snatched my cell phone from the desk and mumbled a "Thank you," to Nikki.

"Hello," I said into the phone.

"Hi Dad, what took you so long to answer the phone?" Bella asked.

"Sorry kiddo, I fell asleep. The last few days have been rough for me."

"I'm just calling in before I go to sleep."

I glanced out the window to see the sun had already set and it was dark outside. "What time is it?" I asked.

"It's eleven o'clock."

I had been asleep for close to six hours. "Good night, Bells. Call me once you wake up."

"Good night."

I stood up from my desk and stretched, getting the kinks out of my body that came from sleeping in a chair. I walked to the front office. "Nikki, why did you let me sleep so long?"

"You looked so comfortable; I didn't have the heart to wake you. If there had been any calls other than your cell phone, I would have woken you up."

"Thanks, I really needed the sleep. Why are you working so late?"

"The new girl, Christina, called in sick today, so I picked up a double shift for her. I'll be here with you throughout the night until the other officers are here to answer the calls.

"So that was Bella?" She continued. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop but I couldn't help but hear you saying goodnight to her. How is she doing?"

"She's hanging in there. She'll be okay, I 'm just being a little protective of her right now. I'm going to go get some paperwork done. Will you put another pot of coffee on?"

"Yes sir, Chief." She said with a smile and a quick mock salute.

I chuckled as I walked back to my office. Nikki could always make me feel better.

The next morning, Bella called me to tell me she had woken up. Around noon she called me again. "Gertrude Jones?" she asked as I answered the phone.

"Who?"

"Gertrude Jones," she repeated. "You couldn't have picked a better name for me than Gertrude?"

Still a little confused I asked her what she was talking about

"I just got a package for Gertrude Jones."

I laughed. I was not surprised that Isaac had picked an old fashioned name like Gertrude. "Did you open it yet?"

"Hold on a minute." I heard her rip open the packaging and then squeal with delight. "Dad you got me all the books I wanted! Thank you so much! I've been so bored lately!"

"Those should keep you busy for a few hours." Bella was an avid reader, and a very quick one, so I knew it wouldn't take her very long to get through the books I had sent her.

We settled into a comfortable routine, she would call me once she woke up and before she went to bed as well as a few times during the day. I would ask her if she needed money or what she would like in her next care package. Whenever she requested something I would call Isaac and tell him what I needed him to send to her. After a few weeks I had Isaac send her another disposable cell phone. We had used her first phone so much it was close to running out of minutes. Those few weeks of waiting were the longest weeks of my life.

I called the house two or three times a week and every single time Phil answered. He always made a big show of calling out through the house to see if Bella was home. He would always tell me she was out. Usually I would ask to speak to Renée, but Phil always said she couldn't come to the phone or that she wasn't there, and he didn't know when she would be home. Finally, I asked Bella for Phil's practice schedule, and once I knew his schedule I started calling while he was at practice. This was the only way I could reach Renée. I told Renée to have Bella call me as soon as she got home. On June twenty-ninth, a day or two before Bella was scheduled to come up to live with me, I confronted Renée.

"Do you even know where Bella is?" I demanded.

Sheepishly, Renée responded, "No."

"Have you called the police and filed a missing persons report?"

"No."

Letting the fury I had felt since Bella had called me over a month earlier explode in my voice. I yelled at her. "You stupid fuck! What the hell do you think you're doing with our daughter? How long has she been gone? Has she been missing this whole goddamn time? She has, hasn't she? Why haven't you lifted a fucking finger to find her? Were you too busy sucking Phil's cock to do anything? Have you even called the police once?"

Renée stammered through my tirade and tried to answer each question, but I didn't care what she said. It was all bullshit and she knew it. Before she could really answer my questions, I slammed the phone down.

I immediately called Dave Brown.


	13. Cinching the Deal

**13. Cinching the Deal**

**This all happens prior to Take This Heart.**

While the Phoenix Police operator was transferring me, I decided Dave needed a little payback for the prank he had pulled on me when I had talked to him the first time.

"This is Officer Brown."

Speaking in the best falsetto I could manage I said, "Officer Brown, my name is Mildred and you showed up at my sister's bachelorette party, and danced for her. I just haven't been able to get that nice big juicy cock out of my head, and I was wondering what it would cost to get a private performance?"

Dave stammered, "M-m-ma'am I believe you have me mistaken for someone else. This is the actual police station. You should call an adult entertainment service that specializes in male performers."

"Are you sure? I remember you had that nice tight ass, with that brown hair and those baby blue eyes."

Dave sounded a little bit more flustered after my accurate description of him. "Ma'am, I assure you that I am not the man you are looking for."

"Really? Is this not officer Dave Brown?"

"Yes, that is my name, but I have never performed at a bachelorette party and with my sense of rhythm you would be greatly disappointed with my performance."

Returning to my normal voice I said, "Really Dave, you shouldn't sell yourself short. If I remember correctly, you had pretty good rhythm."

"Charlie! How the hell are you? You had me going there for a minute." He paused for a moment. "Do you really think I have a nice ass?"

I laughed. "Whenever we went out to a bar, the ladies were always commenting on your ass."

"Yeah but they were usually drunk. That was also a long time ago. Since then I have become your typical doughnut-eating cop."

I chuckled at his description of himself. "So, Dave, I need to file a missing person report."

"Will you please tell me what's going on?"

"I think you have a pretty good idea of what is going on."

"Okay. I'll need a description of Bella."

As I began describing Bella to him, I realized that this plan was almost complete. I was hopeful it was really going to work.

"Do you have a recent picture of Bella?" he asked.

Thinking about the picture in my wallet, I sheepishly replied, "No, I don't." Then I remembered all the pictures I had on the wall at home "I have one from the last school picture day. It's about six months old, but I don't know how to get it to you."

"Could you fax it?"

"Yeah, I could do that."

"What about any scars, tattoos, or any identifying marks?"

Thinking of all the injuries she had covered up when she had been with me, I was amazed that she didn't have any scars. They were all emotional, and thus not visible.

"Nothing I can think of."

"Okay. That should be enough information. Now, you said you wanted me to wait a week or two to find her?"

"Actually, I want you to find her right away. Tomorrow would probably be best. Using normal police work you should have no problem finding her or I can give you an anonymous tip. Which do you think would be better?"

"That all depends on the tip."

"The tip is that you should check the local Motel 6."

Dave chuckled. "That's usually one of the first places we look. I don't think we'll need the tip but if we do I'll put it into the report."

Dave continued, "Let me make sure I've got this right. You want us to find Bella tomorrow at the local Motel 6?"

"Yes, and let me know when you find her. I'll need to set up her flight as soon as she is found to come visit me as per the custody agreement."

I knew Bella would have to spend one night at home before she came up to see me. I didn't really like it but I couldn't see any way around it. Renée and Phil needed to see Bella after she had been found. They were also responsible for getting her to the airport.

"Will she have a hard time making her flight?" Dave asked.

"If she does, you'll be getting another call from me instructing you to take her to the airport." Realizing there was a loose end I needed to tie up, I added, "The report officer Perry made when I first called in . . . I need you to make sure it's either misfiled or accidently destroyed. I can't let anybody know that I knew where Bella was."

"That shouldn't be a problem. We lose stuff all the time around here."

"Thanks, Dave, you take care." I switched my voice back to the falsetto. "And keep on shaking that ass, big boy."

Laughing, we hung up.

Next, I called Bella. She answered the phone in a very upbeat manner. "Hi, Dad. The latest care package was great."

"Bella, tomorrow the police are going to find you. You will have to stay with your Mom for one night. I wish I could find a way around it but I can't. I need you to throw your phone into the dumpster tonight. Do you understand?"

Bella was quiet for quite awhile. "Is this the only way?" she asked.

My heart broke for her. She didn't want to go home.

"In order for this plan to work, we have to do things this way. In a perfect world I would have you come up tonight, but the custody agreement says you can't come up before July first."

"I understand. When do I have to toss the cell phone?"

"Just before you go to bed should work out fine. Unless you want to get rid of me sooner than that."

"No," she said, a little bit firmer than I expected. "I want to be able to talk to you as much as possible. I love you Dad, and I need you right now."

With tears blurring my vision I responded, "I love you too, Bella."

I was able to stay on the phone with her for the next seven hours. A lot of the time we didn't talk it was just enough to hear each other breathe. We were connected and that was all that mattered right now.

Just before midnight Bella said, "I'm getting sleepy. We should probably turn in. I'm going out to the dumpster now, okay?"

"Okay. Before you do, though, I want you to know I love you. I promise you, things will be better here."

She was quiet for a long time, and when she spoke I heard sadness in her voice. "I love you too, Dad. I'll call you after I'm found and I'll see you in a few days."

I heard wind rushing past the microphone and a loud clang as the cell phone hit the bottom of the dumpster.

I hung up the phone. I had never felt more powerless in all my life.


	14. Lost and Found

**14. Lost and Found**

**This all happens prior to Take This Heart.**

I slept fitfully that night; when I wasn't dreaming of catastrophes involving Bella that would jerk me awake, my idle mind thought some up. I envisioned Phil following Bella back to her room after she tossed her phone. I dreamt of Bella's plane going down in a ball of fire on her way up to Washington. Every possible scenario, no matter how farfetched or unlikely, ran through my head.

Just before sunrise I decided to finally give up on sleep and got up to make some coffee. I would be on duty in a few hours, for which I was grateful. I needed something to keep my mind off of Bella.

I pulled into the station, and as I walked in Nikki looked up at me.

"Jesus, Charlie, you look like shit."

"It's good to see you too, sunshine."

She laughed at me. "Rough night?"

"Yeah."

"Want to talk about it?"

"Remember a month ago when I asked you to keep something quiet?"

Nikki nodded her head.

"The culmination of that thing is going to happen tonight."

"What's going to happen?" she asked in a whisper.

I matched her whisper with my own. "Let's just say I'm going to have company in a few days. Now, if everything goes according to plan, she won't be company for long, but she'll become a permanent member of my household."

Nikki raised her eyebrows in surprise. "How?"

I responded, "Let's just say I've been working on it."

Nikki caught the hint. I didn't want to go into the details.

Nikki had always been good at reading my thoughts. We'd tried dating a few years ago, but it hadn't worked out. We did have fun together, and after dating we were fuck buddies for a little while, but it was just too weird to see each other in the office the morning after a night of hot and sweaty sex. We still cared for each other but we both knew the most we would be was close friends and co-workers. Nikki was seeing a pretty good guy from Port Angeles now, and I was happy for her.

I went back to my desk and sipped my coffee hoping for a busy day to keep my mind off of Bella. Of course, it was a very slow day. Nothing happened, not even a parking ticket.

The only thing I could think about all day was Bella. I kept checking the clock, waiting for Dave to finally call me and tell me they had "found" my daughter. I tried to busy myself with paperwork but that was quickly finished. I tried doing the crossword puzzle from the paper but I'd never been very good at those so I just ended up doodling horns and missing teeth on a picture of the mayor.

Finally, around 4 p.m., my cell phone rang. I quickly picked up.

"Dave?"

"Who's this Dave person?"

"Oh, hi Billy," I said, disappointed.

Billy just wanted to know if we were still on to watch the Mariners game that night. I had totally forgotten he was coming over. I figured the distraction would be helpful, though. I told him to come early and to bring Jacob with him. We would get Bella's room ready for her while we were waiting for the game to start.

I hung up with Billy, doodled on the paper a little bit more, and when I'd added a thick pair of glasses and only had two teeth remaining, my phone rang. I picked up.

"This is Chief Swan."

"Chief Swan," I heard Dave say, "I have someone here who wants to talk to you."

He transferred the phone. "Hi Dad," I heard Bella say.

"Bella! Where have you been? I've been worried sick about you. Are you okay? I would have called the police sooner if your Mom had told me you were missing but I didn't even find out until yesterday."

Bella picked up on the hint that we needed to put on a little show for some of the people who weren't in on the plan. "I'm fine. I had a little bit of money saved up and I've just been staying at the Motel 6."

We talked a little bit longer I told her I was going to buy her plane ticket right away. I asked her if she could be ready to leave early tomorrow.

"What time?" she asked.

I told her to hold on for a minute. While keeping her on the line, I picked up the phone in my office and called a travel agency. I asked for the earliest flights from Phoenix to Seattle the next day. The agent said there was a Southwest Airlines flight with one connection in Salt Lake City that left at 6 a.m. and arrived in Seattle at 10:05 a.m. There was also an Alaskan Airlines flight that was direct and it left at 6:20 a.m., arriving at 9:05 a.m. I didn't want Bella to have to be in Arizona one minute longer than was absolutely necessary. I immediately booked the last seat available on the Southwest flight and gave Bella the details.

She sighed. "You know if I land in Salt Lake City they're going to try to make me Mormon."

I chuckled. "Tell them you'll accept their _Watchtower_ but you're not interested."

"Dad," she said laughing, "the Jehovah's Witnesses do the _Watchtower_. Mormons do _The Book of Mormon_."

I then heard Bella hand the phone back to Dave.

When Dave came back on the phone I said, "Thank you for finding her so quickly Officer Brown. Was she hard to locate?"

"Oh, no. She was at the local Motel 6, which is one of the first places we look for runaways. She looks okay, but our standard procedure is to take her to the hospital. Just to get her checked out. Her mom lives down here I presume? I only ask because we need a place for her to go."

I said yes and gave them Renée's phone number. Dave told me not to worry, that she would be safe and sound and in her own bed that night. I shuddered at the thought of Bella being anywhere near Phil, but I didn't have much of a choice. I thanked him and asked if I could talk to Bella some more. He passed me back to Bella.

"Bella, Call me as soon as you get home, and then start packing so you won't miss your flight."

"I will. I'll talk to you soon." Then switching to a low whisper that Dave couldn't hear she said, "Thanks Dad."

I smiled. "Anytime, Bells."


	15. Homecoming

**15. Homecoming**

**This all happens prior to Take This Heart.**

After I hung up with Bella, I only had fifteen minutes left on my shift. I cleaned off my desk and tossed the newspaper with the disfigured Mayor into the recycle bin. I said goodnight to Nikki as we both clocked out. Driving home, I was a nervous wreck. I could only think of the hell Bella was going to be living through tonight.

I pulled up to the house just as Jacob was parking his dad's pickup. He hopped out and walked back to the tailgate, and pulled out Billy's wheelchair.

When we got inside the house Billy said, "Okay, so what are we going to do to get this house ready for your girl?"

"Um, let's see . . . her room is as she left it. Why don't we just make sure there isn't anything embarrassing that I don't want her to see."

"So where do you want your extensive collection of _Hustler_ and _Penthouse_?" Billy chided me.

I countered with, "I was thinking Jacob could have them."

We went through the house, tossing a few things in the trash and tidying up. Jacob and I went upstairs to make sure the bathroom was female friendly. After tossing out my expired condoms and making room on the sink and in the medicine cabinet, we headed downstairs where Billy had already gotten some beer out of the fridge and ordered a pizza. Billy tossed me a beer and switched on the TV. He found the pregame for the Mariners game and we settled in to watch. I vaguely remember watching the game, my thoughts again drifting to Bella. About an hour after the game started, my cell phone rang.

I picked up my phone; an automated voice said, "Will you accept a collect call from," and then I heard Bella say, "Bella Swan." The automated voice came back and said, "Press one for yes, press two for no."

I pulled the phone away from my ear and looked at the keypad to make sure I pressed one.

"Hi," Bella said. "You wanted me to call you when I got home. So I'm calling you."

As I walked into the kitchen I asked her, "Are you packing your bags yet?"

"Just about."

"Well, don't wait too long. You need to be at the airport two hours before your scheduled flight. So you should probably leave in a little bit less than seven hours."

I heard a knock on her door and Phil's voice call out, "Bella baby girl, do you need any help?"

"N-no thanks Phil."

I heard Phil again, his voice much clearer and louder. Obviously he had opened her door. "Don't talk too long with Daddy Charlie. Your Mother and I need to talk to you before you leave."

Phil referring to me as "Daddy Charlie" always felt like a slap in the face. It made me hate him a little more each time.

"Okay Phil," Bella said. I figured that Phil didn't leave because of the way Bella was talking. "I-I need to go, Dad. I'll see you when I land."

Before I would let her go I said, "Bella if there is any problem getting to the airport give me a call right away. Call me before you leave for the airport. If I don't hear from you by 3:45 I will call a friend and tell him to take you. So don't forget to call me. I'll pick you up when you land. I love you Bella."

"I love you too Dad." Instantly the phone was hung up.

I figured Phil had hung up the phone for her but I couldn't really call her back without arousing Phil's suspicion that she had told somebody what he was doing to her.

As I went back into the den, I noticed Billy had paused the game for me. "You didn't have to do that," I said.

"We didn't want you to miss anything." Billy said with a slight smile. "Hey Charlie, how about we make this a little more interesting? I bet you twenty five bucks that the top half of this inning ends with the Mariners stranding one man on base. What do you say?"

I glanced at the screen. They had actually rewound it a little bit from where it was when I left the room. On the screen it was now the top of the fourth inning, no men out. When I had left there had been one out, no men on base.

I looked at Billy, "Do you think I'm gullible or just plain dumb. You know exactly how this half of the inning is going to end because you've already seen the entire thing."

Billy looked at me, an appalled expression on his face. "Charlie, do you really think I would try to cheat my friend out of his money like that?"

"You would cheat your own grandmother out of fifty cents if you thought you could get away with it," I replied smugly.

Billy and Jacob both burst out laughing. "Okay Charlie, you got me but you can't blame me. It was Jacob's idea."

I looked at Jacob who was looking away from me, whistling while trying to look innocent. I sat down in my chair. "Okay let's get on with the game."

As I watched the game, I felt my eyelids getting heavy. I knew I hadn't had much sleep the night before and I wouldn't be getting a lot of sleep tonight. I decided not to even try to fight off the sleep that was striving to overtake me. I woke up a few times from Billy and Jacob cheering, with just enough time for me to see the replay that had caused the cheering. When Jacob and Billy stood up to leave, I woke up and saw that the Mariners had lost the game four to two. In the starlight, I walked Billy and Jacob out to their truck. As Jacob was putting Billy's wheelchair into the bed of the truck, I looked at Billy and said, "This bucket of bolts looks like it's ready to fall apart. Are you sure that it will get you home?"

"This bucket of bolts got us here just fine; she still runs—most of the time. Jacob wants to try to rebuild the engine before we get a new bucket of bolts. You know, so we can jack the price up." Billy said with a smile.

As the truck pulled out of the driveway it backfired. I chuckled as they drove off; they really needed a new bucket of bolts.

I walked back into the house and decided to take a nap so I wouldn't fall asleep while driving that night. I was expecting Bella's call in about five hours. Before I lay down, I set my alarm clock for 3 a.m. As soon as [[my head hit the pillow I fell asleep.

I woke up to my alarm going off. I glanced at the clock. Shit. It was 3:25. My alarm had been going off for twenty five minutes and I had slept through it. Immediately I grabbed my phone and checked to see if I had missed any calls. Fortunately, I hadn't.

I went down stairs to make some coffee. At 3:45 on the nose, my phone rang.

Bella sounded out of breath. "Dad, we're leaving for the airport right now."

I knew Phil wouldn't want to let her go until the last possible moment.

I told Bella I would see her soon and we hung up. I decided I would leave for the airport around 6 AM. With my coffee in hand I sat down in the den and to watch some TV. The infomercials that were on were pretty typical with easily excited audiences who oohed and aahed over some asinine invention, while the announcer tried to convince me that no home was complete without the item. But wait! If I called right now I could get a free item! I just had to pay extra shipping and handling. After about fifteen minutes of watching the infomercials, which felt like eating a bowl full of sugar, I switched on _SportsCenter_ hoping to catch the parts of the game I'd slept through.

When _SportsCenter_ ended, I switched off the TV and got up. I ate some leftover pizza and warmed up my coffee. While standing on my porch and drinking my coffee my mind started to wander. Bella, my little girl was coming home to me. I needed to protect her; I needed to become a better father to her. This train of thought made me think of my own parents.

Geoffrey and Helen Swan. They had thought they were unable to have kids. When I was born, they were in their mid forties and I was an accident and a surprise. I dearly loved them even though I was never sure if they truly loved me back. Growing up in the seventies I was an avid watcher of _The Brady Bunch_. I loved that show because I wished my parents had been like Mike and Carol Brady. Could parents such as them exist?

My father had been very hard on me. I thought it was because he felt I stole my mother's attention. I'd felt I always had to live up to impossibly high expectations. One of my earliest memories was the sound of his belt as it cut though the air and slapped against my back. He'd used his belt more than anything else. Among the many beatings I took, I vividly remembered him kicking me down the stairs because I hadn't been moving fast enough for him. He'd also been very brutal to my mother, and every time I tried to stop him I would get a very thorough licking. There were days I would skip school to hide a black eye or to hide marks caused by his belt. The worst beating I had ever taken from him was one night when I got between him and my mother, and when his belt had cut through the air, I'd grabbed it and yanked it out of his hand. I'd turned the belt on him and hit him across the face with the buckle. I didn't remember much after that. I awoke a few hours later in the hospital with my arm in a cast and some stitches across my scalp. My parents were standing next to the bed with tears in their eyes. My parents told the doctor I had fallen out of a tree. Ugh.

My mother could be quite brutal as well. If I'd talked back to her at all, she would find the closest thing to her and throw it. Her favorite thing to throw at me was car keys, which I learned how to dodge at a very young age. If I was within striking distance, it was her heavy wooden spoon she would dole out her punishment with. I didn't even remember how many of those spoons she broke. She would hit any part of my body she could reach. Sometimes just my hand but more often it would come down across my head. I constantly had goose eggs on my head caused by her spoon.

They'd both been heavy drinkers, and if they'd had too much, which happened most weekends, they would sometimes beat me together. Times like that taught me to make myself scarce. On weekends, I would find somewhere else to be. I would hang out on the reservation or go camping by myself. I couldn't tell anyone of the brutality I suffered at the hand of my parents. If someone knew, my parents might get punished, and I couldn't bear for them to be punished. I just loved them too much.

When I entered my twenties, my parents' age started to catch up with them. While my friends went to college I stayed near home to help them out. My father's arthritis made it so he could barely move, and my mother started showing symptoms of Alzheimer's. I couldn't bear to leave them in such poor health. They were still my parents and I still loved them with all my heart.

I realized that this was part of the reason I'd gravitated towards Renée. I had heard that men tend to marry their mothers; I was looking for someone who was not very strong, someone who I would be able to dominate. I hadn't been a good husband to her; she'd borne the brunt of my wrath for quite a while, until she'd finally gotten up the nerve to leave me. I'd lost contact with her and Bella for a few months, until Renée realized she could get some money if I knew where she was. She really liked getting my child support checks.

When Bella visited me, I started unleashing my wrath on her. I didn't like that I hurt her, but sometimes she made it so difficult. I knew I would let the stress I had felt that day build up and it would burst out of me and onto Bella. I tried to make up for it by buying her things. I really didn't know what else to do. I had thought about taking some classes, but with the cost and the lost time at work they were just too expensive. The classes I could afford were through a community center but they were far too public and I couldn't let my neighbors know what a terrible person their chief of police was.

Looking at my watch, I realized I should probably leave for the airport.

The drive to the airport was uneventful, just a lot of time on a lonely road, which provided me with a lot of time to think. I thought a lot about Bella, about how my life was going to change with her in it. I was terrified that I wouldn't be a good father to her. Right now I knew the thing she needed most of all was a safe place where she didn't have to be afraid. I wanted to provide her with that safe place. I had always loved Bella with my whole heart. She was my daughter it was my responsibility to care for her. She shouldn't have to be concerned about what clothing best disguised her injuries. She should be worried about what the cute boy in her class thought of her, or whether anybody would notice the zit on her forehead, not whether anyone would notice her limp. She had been forced to grow up way too quickly. I wanted to be able to give Bella her childhood and innocence back. I hoped this move would be the fresh start we both needed.

I pulled into the airport parking lot and walked inside. I looked over the arrivals screen, and found Bella's flight. I had about half an hour before her flight arrived. Looking around, I saw an airport gift shop—one of those little mall-like shops that were in every airport, where the walls were stacked with books, magazines, and other things to keep you entertained during your flight.

I walked in and scanned the wall—pausing only briefly on the porno magazines, and chuckling about the banter I'd had with Billy the night before. Billy knew very well I was more of a _Playboy_ guy than a fan of _Penthouse_ or _Hustler. _Continuing my scan around the shop, I came across a book I thought Bella might be interested in. Reading the back of it, I thought it would be a nice welcome home gift and was totally worth the $26.99 price tag. I bought the book and went out to the baggage claim.

As I was waiting for Bella, I started to pluck off the price tag on the book. As the sticky residue was released from the back of the book, the price the publisher had intended for the book to cost was revealed as $16.99. Removing the rest of the price tag, I felt a little bit angry. As I looked up from my task of removing the sticker I was ready to go give the shopkeeper a piece of my mind. That was when I saw her.

Bella looked tired, frazzled, and completely exhausted. I saw her coming down the escalator a moment before she saw me, and I hid her gift behind my back. When she reached the bottom of the escalator, I saw that her eyes were moist. She reached up on her tiptoes to kiss me on the cheek and said, "Hi Dad."

"I, uh, bought you a book." When I pulled the book from behind my back she looked down at the title. _Yalta: The Price of Peace._

She flipped through the pages stopping here and there, looking at a picture or a chapter title. When she had done her quick scan, she looked up at me with a smile in her eyes. "You know, this book has 448 pages."

"Yeah, I thought I'd pick you out some light reading," I said with a smile.

She giggled at my joke. I put my hand on her shoulder and she seemed to jerk a little bit. _I must have startled her_, I thought.

We walked over to the baggage carousel and waited for her luggage to slide down. I picked it up and we walked out to the car where I opened the door for her and put her bags in the trunk. When I got in, Bella had her seatbelt on and was staring out the passenger window. She was sitting with her feet in front of her on the seat while hugging her legs to her chest. As I pulled out of my parking spot, she started to rock back and forth rhythmically in her seat. I recognized the nervous tic and protective position she was in. I touched her hand and she looked at me with a very tired smile. As we drove to pay for parking we didn't say anything, and when I reached the highway moments later, she was already asleep.


	16. Old Habits

**16. Old Habits**

**This all happens prior to Take This Heart.**

Bella slept most of the way home. She woke up a few times with a start, looking around fearfully. When she would lock eyes with me the fear would leave her eyes and she would smile. She would then lay her head gently against the window and drift off to sleep again.

I looked over at her many times during the drive home. Her brow was furrowed most of the time she was asleep. I could tell she had been crying earlier, not because her mascara had run but because there were streaks in her makeup where the tears had washed it away.

When we arrived home she was still asleep, so I grabbed her luggage out of the trunk and carried it up to her room. When I came back downstairs she was still sleeping in the car. I unbuckled her seat belt and gently lifted her out of the car. I had forgotten how light she was. She stirred in my arms and turned her head to my chest, and murmured sleepily, "Daddy." She had awoken just enough to realize she was with me. I carried her up to her room and laid her gently on the bed. Grabbing a blanket out of the closet I put it over her. I decided it was time I made some breakfast.

I had taken the day off, so I didn't have to worry about work. My ears were trained on Bella while I worked in the kitchen. As I was putting breakfast on the table I heard a soft footfall from Bella's room. She walked to the bathroom and when I heard her exit I called out to her.

"Bella, I made some breakfast. I wasn't sure what you wanted so I made you some eggs, bacon and pancakes. If there is something you would rather have, let me know."

She appeared at the bottom of the stairs. She had washed the makeup off of her face and put her hair up in a ponytail.

She gave me a little smirk. "You cooked? Should I be impressed or afraid?"

I chuckled. "Probably a little of both. Is there something you would rather have for breakfast?"

"No, this looks good. Thanks for everything, and for breakfast."

"Anytime, kiddo."

She sat down and we started eating. When she started to get up I asked her, "Is there something I can get for you?"

"I just wanted some orange juice."

I told her to sit down and I got the juice out of the fridge. I poured us each a glass and carried the carton and glasses from the fridge to the table. As I sat the glass in front of Bella she mumbled a thank you and we went back to eating.

We settled into a very nice routine after that first awkward day. I would go to work and when I came home she would have dinner ready or just be finishing it up. I really tried to keep my temper under control and was able to for about a week.

The day had been very stressful for me. I had been called out to an accident where five drunken kids around the age of eighteen had wrapped their car around a tree. The little shits were being smart mouthed and kept making jokes about me being a pig. I decided to lock them up to teach them all a lesson about authority. To make matters worse Isaac and I had talked about some of the issues and concerns that we both had about the custody settlement. He had said the more exact details I could give him, the more ammunition he would have to keep Bella in Washington.

I approached Bella that night as she was finishing the dishes. "I need some information from you. I need you to tell me what would happen if you went back to your Mom's house. The more information you can give me, the better."

Bella placed the final plate in the dish drainer, put both hand on the edge of the sink and bowed her head. She was quiet for awhile but I could see her lips barely moving very quickly. When she stopped her lips moving she looked up and out the window over the sink.

As she started to talk I could see tears coming to her eyes, and her breathing coming in halting gasps. "Dad, I need you to understand, I can't tell you what you want to know. If I ever go back to Arizona I would pay for running away."

"Can you be more specific? Just tell me what happened, why you had to call me."

Again she bowed her head for a moment and I saw her lips moving again. When she stopped she looked up at me tears streaming down her face and said, "I can't do this."

I don't know why it happened. I'd felt the frustration from the whole day, the stress from working with Isaac, the anger at the kids in the accident, the irritation I was feeling towards Bella for not telling me anything. It all washed over me like a wave. I felt my fury start to boil up within me. I felt my hand drawing back. My mind numb, I saw the back of my hand hit Bella's cheek with enough force to knock her to the ground. As she started to get up I kicked her arms out from under her and her head landed sideways on the linoleum. While she was still on her knees and her head on the ground my foot drew back and kicked her in the ribs. I stormed out of the kitchen and went up to my room slamming the door behind me. I was angry at myself for having lost my temper. Whenever my temper took control of me I always felt guilty afterwards, especially when I hurt someone I loved. I lay back on my bed pressing the heels of my hands into my eyes. I must have fallen asleep because when I looked at the clock it was just after 1 a.m.

I decided to get up and go clean the kitchen. When I stepped out of my room the house was very quiet. Bella's door was closed, and I went down stairs quietly as I could and stepped into the kitchen. The kitchen was completely clean all the dishes were put away. There was nothing out of place, like the night had never happened. I went upstairs and peeked in on Bella; she was asleep in her bed, her face was starting to swell up from the impact of my hand and the linoleum. Feeling terrible about what I had done to her, I closed her door and went back to bed.

The next morning I left before Bella woke up and headed into work. I felt miserable all day, wracked with guilt. How could I do this to my baby girl? How could I do this to someone I loved? When I got home, Bella was just putting food on the table she looked up at me and smiled meekly. She had managed to cover the bruises on her face with makeup. The only visible reminder from the night before was a split lip and her face was a little puffy. I sat down to a meal of fried chicken and corn on the cob; it looked great. Bella pulled a can of beer out of the fridge for me and placed it next to my plate. I mumbled a thank-you and started eating.

After a few minutes I looked up at Bella who was picking at her food, not eating much, which was not unusual. "Bella, I'm sorry about last night," I began. "I really hope you understand that I love you. I didn't mean to hurt you, it just happened. It won't happen again. Are you okay?"

Keeping her head down she nodded her head and said, "It's okay. I love you too."

We left it at that.

After dinner I gave Isaac a call and told him Bella couldn't tell me anything about her life in Arizona. I asked him if there was something else we could do. He asked me if Bella might be able to come to court and just tell the judge she really didn't want to go back to Arizona. I called out to Bella, who had just finished up washing the dishes and gave her the phone to talk to Isaac.

She listened to Isaac's idea with closed eyes and a trembling lower lip. When he had finished she nodded her head and whispered a quick, "Yes."

She handed me the phone back and Isaac and I discussed the logistics of the court proceedings. Bella would need to testify the following Monday which meant she had only two days to prepare. I thought about this and figured the bruises on her face would have faded enough by then that they wouldn't be hard to hide. I told Isaac I would take her to the courthouse on Monday and we would see him in a few days.

Saturday and Sunday were pretty uneventful. On Monday morning with me in my brown suit, and Bella in a khaki skirt and red blouse, we left the house at 4 a.m. We wanted to get to the courthouse early because Isaac wanted to go over a few things before we went to court. Bella slept most of the three-and-a-half-hour drive to Seattle. When we arrived at the courthouse I woke Bella up by gently shaking her. She looked up at me sleepily.

"Do I have to wake up? I was having a lovely dream where I was a _Cinnabon_ taste-tester." I smiled at her. "We're at the courthouse."

She sat up and checked her makeup which was covering the bruises on her face in the visor's mirror. She decided it was fine, and got out of the car. I got out my side of the car and was grateful that the swelling had gone down and she was able to hide the evidence from the beating I had given her a few days earlier.

When we got into the courthouse and past the security checkpoints, we saw Isaac. He was wearing a very nice Armani suit with his leather eye patch already in place. This was the first time Bella had seen him and I couldn't help but notice her astonishment when this old man who looked something like a pirate walked right up to her and began shaking her hand.

"This must be the Isabella Swan. Charlie told me how important you are to him.

Isaac then turned to me, "How the hell are you Charlie? You're looking the same." Looking me over with a discerning eye he asked, "You don't look a thing like her. Are you sure Bella wasn't adopted?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "Bella this is Isaac Randall, one of the finest lawyers I've ever worked with, and probably the grouchiest old bastard I've ever met."

Isaac laughed, "Oh come now Charlie, I'm not "probably". I'm definitely the grouchiest old bastard you've ever met."

The banter between Isaac and me along with his odd sense of humor had put Bella at ease.

Isaac showed us to an elevator which we took to the sixth floor where Isaac then ushered us into a small conference room so we could go over the case. As we began discussing what Bella was going to say, he asked me to leave the room, saying he needed to talk to Bella in private for a moment. I was hesitant.

"Don't worry, Charlie, I won't ask for her hand in marriage until you give the okay," he said with a twinkle in his eye.

I left and went to the local convenience store to get a cup of coffee for Bella, Isaac, and me. I picked up a cinnamon roll for Bella and a cheese danish for myself. After doctoring my coffee, I realized I was not exactly sure how Bella or Isaac took their coffee so I grabbed a handful of sweeteners, and miniature creamer cups and placed them in my pocket. I paid the cashier and, carefully balancing the coffees and cinnamon roll while carrying the danish in my mouth, I made my way back to the courthouse. When the security guard saw me he laughed, and having seen my badge earlier he just asked me if I was armed. Shaking my head he waved me through the security checkpoint even when the metal detector went off. When I got to the small conference room, I tapped gently on the door with my foot.

Isaac responded with his normal greeting. "The only people who knock on my door are salesmen. I don't care what you're selling; I don't want any, so you can just go fuck yourself." I heard Bella laugh and Isaac opened the door. "I see you come bearing gifts."

I nodded the danish still in my mouth. "Bella and I are done here, so come on in and we'll go over what you're going to say."

I sat down gave Bella and Isaac their cups of coffee and emptied the sweeteners and creamers out of my pockets. Isaac looked at them all and said, "You know in the state of Washington, shoplifting is a gross misdemeanor which is punishable by up to one year in jail and fines up to $5,000.00."

Scratching my nose with my middle finger, I said, "Just drink your coffee old man."

After talking for forty five more minutes, Isaac glanced at his watch and said, "We'd better get going. We're scheduled to be in court in fifteen minutes. Do you two have any final questions?"

Bella and I both shook our heads and we all headed to the elevators to go up to the courtroom.

Paste your document here...


	17. So Help Me God

** Author's note: I know I haven't updated in awhile and I'm sorry. My muse and I have not been on speaking terms lately. However she decided to forgive me recently and we started talking again. Hopefully I won't offend her again.**

**Chapter 17. So Help Me God**

**This all happens prior to Take This Heart.**

The courtroom we walked into was similar to every other courtroom I had ever been in. There were a few rows of pews that looked like they had been ripped out of the local church, with two spectators sitting in them. A waist-high wall separated the spectators from the actual court proceedings. I saw two long tables just on the other side of the wall with a speaking podium in between them. There was an empty jury box along the left wall. At the front of the courtroom was a high desk for the judge. On the Judge's right hand there was a witness box, and on the other side there was a place for the bailiff and the court reporter. We walked through the pair of café doors in the center of the short wall and to the long table on the left hand side.

We settled in behind the desk and Isaac situated his things. As soon as we were ready, he nodded to the bailiff. The bailiff cried out, "All rise for the honorable Sally McLaughlin." A blonde haired woman, about ten years older than me in a judge's black robes, walked into the court room.

As she sat down she looked up and said, "Please be seated."

While we were sitting back down, McLaughlin looked over the papers she had in front of her. "We're here to discuss the custody settlement of Isabella Swan between Renée Higginbotham Swan and Charlie Swan. Is that correct counselor?"

Isaac stood up at the podium, "That is correct your honor. My client, Charlie Swan, would like to change primary custody of Miss Swan from his ex-wife to himself."

"Where is Miss Renée Higginbotham Swan?"

"Notice of the request for a custody change was delivered to Renée Swan on the second of July. The documentation for that is in the paperwork you have in front of you." Isaac continued, "There has been no response from Renée Swan, so we have taken that to mean she will not be contesting the change."

The judge looked up at Bella and me. "Is this young woman here Isabella Swan?"

Isaac answered, "Yes, Miss Isabella Swan is in the court room today."

"Who is the other man at your table counselor?"

Gesturing to me Isaac said, "This is Charlie Swan."

"Do you plan to call any other witnesses besides those seated in the courtroom?"

"No, your honor, just Mr. Swan and Miss Swan."

Looking to the Bailiff, she instructed him to place both Bella and me under oath.

The bailiff walked over to where we were seated and instructed us to stand and raise our right hands. "You do solemnly swear that the evidence you shall give in the matter now pending shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God."

Bella and I answered in unison, "I do."

After we were sworn in, the judge said, "I would like to hear from Isabella on the matter."

"Very well your honor," Isaac said with a smile.

The bailiff escorted Bella to the witness box. As she sat down the judge turned to her and started asking some questions.

"Miss Swan, you are 16 correct?"

Bella nodded her head and gave a soft, "Yes."

McLaughlin continued, "You are of an age now where your opinion will be very important in any decision regarding which parent has custody of you. So very simply, which parent would you like to live with?"

Bella looked at me with moist eyes, her finger softly brushing the bruise on her cheek that her makeup covered. "I want to live with my father."

"Why do you want to live with your father?"

Bella thought for a moment. "I'm happier with my Dad. His life is more stable than my Mom's life. Until recently, my Mom has had a new boyfriend every few weeks. She is now engaged to a baseball player, and professional athletes have to move often. It would be much easier if I were to live in the same place throughout the rest of high school."

"Mr. Swan what is your present occupation?"

Standing up, I answered, "I am Chief of Police in Forks, Washington."

"So can I assume that you have a reasonable income?"

"It is a government job with a meager salary, but I make enough money for me to support Bella and myself."

"Is it a steady job?"

"It is."

"Do you have a permanent residence?"

"I have a mortgage on a small house with two bedrooms."

Addressing Isaac, she asked, "Counselor what was the custody arrangement previously?"

"Bella would live with Renée for most of the year. Charlie would have Bella visit for one month during her summer vacation and would alternate Christmas and Thanksgiving."

"This summer, was Miss Swan visiting Mr. Swan through the month of July?"

"Yes."

McLaughlin looked down and frowned at her desk. She looked up with finality in her voice, "Unless there are any objections, we will simply flip the custody arrangements. Miss Isabella Swan will visit Renée Higginbotham Swan this coming Christmas, and then one month every summer, effective at the end of this month."

Wanting clarification Isaac asked, "So essentially the next time Bella will be visiting her Mother is over the Christmas holiday?"

"That is correct counselor. Miss Renée Higginbotham Swan will have until the end of this month to challenge this ruling, but if she does not, this will go into effect the end of July."

Pulling Isaac's close to me I whispered into his ear, "Phil and Renée will definitely challenge this ruling."

"Leave that to me, I'll make sure it's not challenged."

Looking to Bella, the judge asked, "Miss Swan, do you have any objections to this ruling?"

Bella smiled sweetly at her and shook her head, "No, your honor, that sounds fine."

"Good," McLaughlin continued. "It is my ruling that the primary custody of Isabella Swan will be transferred to Charlie Swan. Isabella will visit her mother this coming Christmas the expense of travel will be the responsibility of the party she is going to see. Next summer Isabella will see her mother for one month over her summer vacation. This ruling will remain in effect until Bella is no longer considered a child and has become a legal adult. Miss Renée Higginbotham Swan will have until the end of this month to object to this ruling, but if nothing is filed it will be deemed that she does not object to this ruling."

Looking at all three of us, she asked, "Anything else?" Bella, Isaac, and I shook our heads. "Good." She banged her gavel. "This hearing is adjourned."

Standing up she turned to Isaac, "Mr. Randall it's wonderful to see you practicing again. As a prosecutor I always found you to be a worthy opponent, and as a judge I always enjoy presiding over cases you've worked on."

Laughing, Isaac said, "Well don't get used to it your honor, I'm retired."

Outside the courtroom, Isaac clapped me on my back and said, "Well that went as well as I could have hoped for. I'll get these papers sent down to Renée right away, making sure she gets served immediately."

"Thank you, Isaac."

Turning to Bella, I asked her if I could have a moment alone with Isaac. She nodded and walked down the hall, humming a happy little tune to herself, obviously pleased with the outcome.

I turned to Isaac. "How are you going to make sure the ruling is not challenged?"

Isaac smiled at me. "I'll put a note in with the papers that says if I get any indication that this ruling is challenged I will bring Phil up on charges of child abuse and neglect. I'll probably also mention something about what happens to people who go to prison with a child abuse case hanging over them."

"With that being the case, I almost hope they do challenge the ruling."

We laughed together and left the courthouse.


End file.
